August nelson



(No Model.)

A. NELSON. BILLIARD CUE LOOKING DEVICE AND RACK.

Patent ed Apr. 28, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST NELSON, on NEWYORK, N. Y.

BlLLlARD-CUE LOCKING DEVICE AND RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,193, dated April28, 1896. Application filed December 23, 1895. Serial No. 573,004. (Nomodel.)

liard-cue racks in which the one is placed on a shelf with the small endof the cue resting in a perforated plate at the top to assist in holdingthe cue in position; and the objects of my improvements are to providesimple and re movable locking means or devices for independently lockingand retaining private cues within the control of individuals who aloneare to be able to unlock and remove them from the rack, and to adaptsuch locking devices to cues of different sizes or diameters of butt.

I attain the objects of my improvements by the mechanism illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is an elevation of thecue-rack provided in part with the locking devices. Fig. 2 is asectional or end View of the left-hand side of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 view ofthe right-hand side of Fig. 1, and Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are detailviews.

Similar letters relate to similar parts throughout the several views.

Many billiard-players like to keep their cues for their own private usealone. My invention is intended to aid them in their desire in thisrespect.

O is the cue.

F is the frame of the locking device D, preferably made of metal,provided at top with a locking-collar O and secured or securable to theledge L and frame F of any ordinary cuerack by means of screws S, S, andS and also easily removable therefrom by one who has the key to thelocking device at will. The collar 0 consists of two parts, one, 0contiuuous with the frame F and the other, C hinged at one end H andprovided at the opposite end with a curved and split horn H. Thestationary part 0 of the collar 0 is provided with an arm or car A,perforated and provided with screw-threads in the perforaof and usingthe key of the lock K.

is a sectional or end tion to receive a flat screw-eye E. l/Vhen'it isdesired to look a one in its place in the rack,

into position in the rack,-as shown in Figs. 1,

3, 4, 6, and 7. g

The screw-eye being flat the movable part .0 of the collar C may beswung into position with the flat screw-eye E passing through andprojecting beyond the divided horn H, as

shown in several of the figures, whereupon the loop L of the lock K maybe passed into the eye E and secured there, thereby making it impossibleto open the locking-collar O and remove the one without obtainingpossession tom of the buttpart B of the cue is dropped into the socketor recess 0 in the ledge L, and as the collar 0 fits the cue tightly,being made adjustable by means of the flatscrew-eye E, the one cannot beshoved upward and released from the graspof the collar and lookingdevice. I i

The collar is made adjustable to suit and tightly engage and hold cuesof different sizes, and whenscrewed up by turning the screw-eye E as faras it will readily go the one is so firmly grasped and held that it willbe supported, and cannot be removed even if A the opening 0 and topplate or thetoppart of the rack should be entirely omittedthat is tosay, the whole upper part of the cue-rack might be omitted and cues ofdifferent sizes would still be held in place by the device D and itslocking-collar, unremovable except by the holder of the key.

The socket O in conjunction with the collar 0 prevents the cue frombeing moved outwardly at I the bottom, and the cue practically fillingits place between the two sides of the locking device and covering thehead of the screw S that screw cannot be unscrewed, even if the screws Sand S are unscrewed, and therefore neither the locking device nor theone can be removed from the rack. The butt B of the one 0 thus becomesan important feature in locking, securing, and retaining not only thecue itself but also the locking device in permanent attachment Thebotand relation to the cue-rack except when unlocked and when it may bedesired to transfer the locking device to another cue-rack.

The perforated plate P at the top of the rack assists in the usual wayin retaining the cue in an upright position and in orderly relationswith all the other cues in the same rack, and also cooperates with thelocking device in securing to billiard-players their private cues fortheir own sole use.

lVithout the socket O the locking-collar C may be adjusted so as tosecure and retain the cue; but the socket O in the ledge L and also theopening O in the plate P assist in the purpose of the invention, makingit an easier and more simple operation to secure the cue O firmly inplace, so that the screw S cannot be reached and the butt cannot beremoved from the socket O.

I do not desire to confine my invention to the precise formation of theframe F shown in the drawings, since it is evident that it may be variedin a number of ways without avoiding my invention. Even without thescrew S used to fasten the frame F to the frame F of the rack andprotected as to its head against the use of a screw-driver for thepurpose of detaching the locking device by the butt B, the frame beingsecured in other ways that would be obvious, the device would be auseful one and sufficiently so for all ordinary purposes of protectionto private or individual cues; but I prefer such a construction of theframe F as will permit the covering of the head of the screw or otherfastening by the butt B of the one 0 when in position and locked andheld there securely.

The two front screws S and S are mainly for ordinary fastening,stability, strength, and protection from violent use. Even without thesocket O the locking device would still be useful; but my locking deviceis adapted to existing cue-racks with sockets, and may therefore be usedon any rack, and I prefer that the socket 0 should be provided andplaced in the top of the ledge L, because it is the simplest and easiestway to interpose one more barrier or obstacle against the improperremoval of the cue or its movement in any direction for any purpose. Inadjusting the one in the collar the closer the contact of the collarwith the cue the more difficult will it be to remove the cue, whetherwith or with out the socket O.

The curve in the horn H assists in holding the lock in place whileengaged with the screw-eye E, which last makes a convenient method ofsecuring the movable to the fixed part of the collar 0 and to the frameF.

I claim as my invention- 1. A cue-locking device D provided with astationary frame F and a hinged locking-collar 0 part of which iscontinuous with the frame F and the movable part of which is permanentlyattached to the continuous part, for engaging the cue, secured to thecue-frame F provided with a socket O by means of a protected screw Slocated behind the butt of the one when in position.

2. A stationary cue-locking frame F provided at top with thelocking-collar 0, consisting of a stationary part 0 and a movable part 0in combination with an adjusting and securing screw-eye E and with theledge L and socket O, and means for lockin g the screw-eye inposition.

3. A stationary cue-locking frame F provided at top with the cue-lockingcollar 0, consisting of a stationary part 0 and a movable part C andhaving means for fastening the collar ends in position, said frame beingsecured to the ledge L and cue-frame Fby suitable screws S and S and byascrew S or other fastening to be covered and protected by the butt ofthe one when in position.

4. A cue-locking frame F provided with a cue-locking collar 0, the saidframe resting upon and secured to the ledge L of a cue-frame F by screwsor other suitable fastenings S S, and to the cue-frame F by the screw orfastening S the ledge L being provided with the socket O for thebutt-end of the cue, and the butt-end of the one as held in placeby thelocking-collar covering and preventing access to the screw or fasteningS 5. A cue-locking device D provided with a stationary frame F having attop a combined continuous and permanently attached hinged and adjustable locking-collar O for engaging the cue, secured to the cue-frameF provided with a socket O by means of one or more vertical screws andby a protected horizontal screw 8' located behind the butt of the cuewhen in position.

6. In a cue-locking device and frame, an adjustable collar C, anadjusting screw-eye or device E, and means for locking the eye

